Lindsey

Chris Saper · 04-01-2006, 08:07 PM

The Scottsdale Artists' School has just begun to offer guided Open Studio sessions - with an instructor, limited enrollment, and tuition. The sessions are from 10 -4. The session offered one model and a still life set-up - they're extremely unstructured, so each instructor formats his or her own style.

When the instructor originally scheduled for yesterday needed to cancel, the School asked me to fill in.

What FUN! I can hardly wait to do this again.

Lindsey, Oil on canvas, 18 x 14. About 4 1/2 hours or so. I wish I'd had another four hours. So much for getting faster.

Lindsey is one of the best models I've ever painted. She is a beautiful true redhead, gorgeous skin, white eyelashes. I think she will be modeling for Bill W's class.

Linda Brandon · 04-01-2006, 08:33 PM

It's beautiful, Chris!

Alexandra Tyng · 04-01-2006, 09:51 PM

Chris, you captured her coloring down to the white eyelashes (without actually rendering the detail) perfectly! I'm blown away by the subtle sheen and silvery notes in that shawl. Wonderful, confident work!

Julie Deane · 04-02-2006, 07:35 AM

Wow, Chris! Very nice!

Sharon Knettell · 04-02-2006, 10:24 AM

Chris,

This is your best open studio work yet (that I have seen). I like the deep red dress played against her red hair. Those eyelashes would drive me nutz!

Chris Saper · 04-02-2006, 12:35 PM

Thank you all very much. Having more time really helps a LOT. Those three hour time slots - where you only really get a little more than two hours of actual painting time, are sure too short for me.

Mischa Milosevic · 04-02-2006, 06:11 PM

Chris, grate job of Lindsey . Don't knock the time you spent on this. After 4.5 hrs you have all the values, hues and temperatures in the proper place. Sure there is room for adjustment but isn't there always . I was present at a private sitting in Italy when N.S. was doing the portrait of A B. In tree two hour sittings he struggled with the figgity mr B and managed to get the color down. He, S, had no chance to work any further for the star had no patience.

Chris Saper · 04-02-2006, 10:36 PM

Misha, You are so kind!!

I am not knocking the image, I just have been trying to 'up' my speed for next month's Dallas demo, and the longer I've painted the slower I've become. Nelson Shanks is not a quick study painter, nor should he be. Nor should any of us who need to take more time.
Sigh.

Garth Herrick · 04-03-2006, 12:09 AM

Chris,

Lindsay is such a wonderful punchy study. I love the chromatic harmony and the poetry of the tonal relationships. You stopped at the right point, beacause I like how the white weaves through the brown backdrop, picking up a few color solos and duets in between. It's great to be inspired.

And Mischa,

That Shanks is equally awesome. Great color and tonal poetry, and what confident handling of paint! How lucky of you to see a live demo; I've only seen a couple by him over the years (1989, and 1996 in Philadelphia).

Thank you both.

Chris, for speed, I painted Alex Tyng in the very last minutes of my portrait class last Monday. She was so kind to pose for us! Alex wants me to post it. I am embarrassed because it looks like the time that was spent, which wasn't much. Gosh it's Monday again already tonight ....maybe I'll snap a picture of it in the daylight to share (in a new thread) later on today.

Garth